A while back, we did an article on some of the gear that Brent Rambler (August Burns Red) was using, but didn’t really talk much about JB Brubaker’s gear. JB’s guitar needs no introduction as every August Burns Red fan would immediately recognize it. It’s so famous that Ibanez took to creating a signature model based on it. I’ve been excited to do this review for a while now, so without further ado, the Ibanez JBBM20.

Features:

– Mahogany Body
– Green Finish w/ White Racing Stripes
– 3-Piece Maple/Bubinga Neck
– Gotoh MG-T Locking Tuners
– Rosewood Fretboard
– 25.5’’ Scale Length
– 24 Jumbo Frets
– Gibraltar Standard II Bridge
– EMG 81/85 Pickups
– 1 Volume, 1 Tone, 3-Way Pickup Selector

Even if you aren’t an August Burns Red fan, you might recognize this guitar (gotta love the racing stripes). That’s because it’s based off the famous RGA 121 that just about everyone loves.

Gibraltar bridges are some of the best “stock” hardtail bridges out there, and it plays with the carved top very well. The guitar itself is ergonomic and comfortable to hold. The neck is quite thin and shred-friendly as well.

It feels light in your hands, but still solid, just like the ol’ RGA121. I was really excited when I picked this up and found that they kept it pretty true to the original, minus the maple/walnut neck of course.

JBBM20

Tone:

You pretty much get what you’d expect out of this guitar. The Mahogany Body/Maple Bolt-on Neck make for a balanced tone with a nice low end and a solid amount of attack.

This guitar comes stock with JB’s favorite EMG 81/combo. Some people seem to despise these pickups, but if you’ve heard the tones that August Burns Red are getting with them, you’d probably reconsider.

Particularly in this guitar, the EMGs sound thick and punchy. They are well-rounded and clear for high gain applications. They perform clean tones fairly well for how hot they are, but mid-gain tones are pretty sub-par.

Overall, this guitar kills for metal. Don’t let the unfortunate EMG reputation deceive you.

Build Quality:

I was very happy with the way this guitar felt. It was a prototype model, so I’m assuming it’s probably a bit rougher than the final versions will be, but I was happy with the quality, particularly in the neck area.

The neck felt really smooth and fast, and the fretwork was very clean. The finish had a few flaws in some hard-to-reach areas that were pretty noticeable.

Overall, any issues were not playability problems and the guitar played exceptionally well.

Final Verdict:

This guitar is certainly for the ultimate August Burns Red fan. It plays fast and smooth, offers a thick metal tone, and comes with a super unique aesthetic.

It’s nice to see a guitar based on the RGA121. It’s such a classic, sought-after metal guitar, and just about any player could use one in their arsenal. With this, you get a very special rendition of one.

9-8-10

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This article was written by Zac Buras, our editor located in Louisiana

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